Interesting Times
By socchan
Chapter Three: The Problems with Kuno
"Carmella!" Nabiki called, bursting into the shop, Kuno draped unceremoniously over her shoulder. "Carmella, where are you?!"
"Nabiki? Is that—oh, dear." Carmella said, coming out from the back room. "Now Nabiki," she chided, "I knew I told you to fulfil those Wishes purposes, but I didn't quite mean you should knock people out to do it. Couldn't you think of a way to get him to accept it willingly?"
Nabiki rolled her eyes, and let out an exasperated breath. "Carmella," she said, "If you're not going to help, then I should just leave."
Carmella held up her hands. "Sorry, sorry." She said with a grin. "It's just too much fun to tease you. Now come on," she continued, turning around and beckoning, "You can put your boyfriend in here."
"Finally" Nabiki sighed in relief, then tensed. "He is not my boyfriend!" Carmella's laugh chimed in response.
"You sound so much like your sister when you say that," she said, the smile evident in her voice.
Nabiki turned pale and growled at this statement, and only resisted the urge to storm in after Carmella because Kuno was still unconscious on her back, instead opting to follow at a more humane speed.
They lay Kuno on Carmella's bed, face-up, the indigo claw hanging slightly outside his gi. "So what exactly happened to him?" Carmella asked.
"Well," Nabiki said, a bit nervously, "I was going to sell him some pictures—don't give me that look!—when I kinda felt a… tug, I guess, from one of the Wishes, and everything I was going to say sort-of came out wrong, kinda like I was being controlled or something. Which I didn't much like, by the way. So I figured out that it was just one of the Wishes finding its purpose, and kinda accidentally sold it to him for five yen. Which," she pointed out, hurriedly, "was the lowest price that came to mind, and is hardly anywhere near the two thousand I paid for all seven. Besides, after dealing with me for so long, he probably sort-of expected to pay me something, and I can't have my rep ruined by giving it to him for free. So he took the necklace and put it on, and then he passed out. I did the first thing I could think of, which was to come here." Nabiki finished up, worriedly.
Carmella's eyebrows had periodically risen throughout the story. "I see…"
"So can you tell me what's wrong with him?" Nabiki's eyes darted back and fourth between Carmella and the sleeping Kuno.
"You seem awfully concerned with him for someone who's only a friend…"
"Would you just shut up and tell me what's wrong with him before his team of family lawyers jumps me?!"
Carmella tried very hard not to smile at that last line, and for the most part was successful. She could tell the girl in her shop cared a good deal more for the boy on the bed than perhaps even she realized. "Alright," she said, and walked over to inspect Kuno.
Nabiki watched with rising panic as Carmella checked Kuno over, periodically sprinkling him with strange herbs or chanting incantations in an unfamiliar language. She bit down on the feeling, and reminded herself that she was only worried about loosing the money source and not Kuno himself. Still, she couldn't help but watch with more than a hint of worry.
Finally, Carmella sighed and backed away from Kuno's body. Looking up, she noticed Nabiki's expression and smiled, beckoning her to come look.
Nabiki walked hesitantly up to the bed, as if afraid of what she would find there. There she saw Kuno's sleeping form, breathing slow and even, eyes closed gently. She held back the urge to ruffle the unconscious boy's hair. "Will he be alright?" Her voice was small and anxious as she stared at him.
"He'll be fine," Carmella assured her. "I've never seen anyone so resistant to curses… or with so many on him…"
Nabiki looked up at Carmella, startled. "Pardon?"
"Look at him like when you're a cat and you'll see what I mean."
Nabiki closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to recall what the world had seemed like as a cat. At once she felt the air around her tingling with magic. The scent of old spells filled her nose, and she sneezed. She opened her eyes and looked at Kuno.
Despite the usual lack of color, Nabiki knew she saw things much better this way. Any bold color she detected she instinctively knew involved magic. She focused on the boy in front of her, and color swam over her neko-vision. Here a spot of red, there a touch of purple, there green. The colors shifted and flowed like a river over Kuno, making Nabiki a little dizzy. A constant spot of white stood out on his chest where the indigo cat's claw rested, fighting for control of the swirling colors. "Wow…" Nabiki breathed. "Are those spells?"
She felt rather than saw Carmella's nod. "Yes, they are. Cats have the uncanny ability to sense when a spell is being used, which is probably why fate willed you to touch the Cursed Whisker powder. Your friend Kuno is unconscious because the Wish you gave him is partially relying on his natural resistance to cancel out the curses."
Nabiki went back to watching the Wish's struggle for dominance. The white light steadily gained ground, faltering a few times as the curses tried to fight back. Nabiki let out a sigh of relief when the white finally took control, and slipped out of neko-vision.
"He'll probably need a few hours to recover. The Wish was pretty draining of his resources. He'll be fine in a little while, though."
"That's good to hear. By the way, is the next wish going to take control of me like that, too?"
"It shouldn't have to, now that you can recognize the feelings they project when they want to be used." Carmella went over to the stove and put some tea on, then gestured for Nabiki to sit across from her at the table. After just a few minutes of uncomfortable silence (Nabiki suspected another spell in the works) the tea was ready, and Carmella poured them each a cup. She sat down across from Nabiki and looked directly into her eyes. "Now…" she said, eyeing the girl in front of her, "you're not really 'just friends' with Master Kuno over there." Her tone made sure Nabiki knew she owed Carmella a reply. The girl sighed into her cup.
"I don't really have many friends…" she started simply, gazing off to the right. "Most of the ones I do have don't exactly trust me as far as they could throw me, and I've accepted that, but Kuno, for some reason, is different. Maybe he's just naïve, or maybe it's just the curses, but I'd like to think it's actually friendship. I'm almost as open with him as I am with my sisters, and the margin of difference is hair thin. He's probably seen things even they haven't. it may be that he sees me as just a supplier, but I'd like to think it's something more. I know I'd be hurt, jealous even, if he found a new source. Even if he got a girlfriend I'd be jealous, because I wouldn't be able to see him as often, even if it was only to exploit his weaknesses." She sighed, deeply, and sipped her tea. "Whoever finally does win his heart is going to be really lucky… Kuno can be damn devoted when he tries to be." Nabiki looked suspiciously at her cup, then glanced up sharply at Carmella. "Did you put something in this tea?" she demanded. "I'm never this open, even with my sisters!"
Carmella laughed her chiming laugh. "Okay, you caught me. It's my special mix Revelation Tea, but I only activated your cup. But doesn't it feel better to get that off your chest?"
Nabiki looked thoughtful a moment, then nodded begrudgingly. "Yes, it does feel somewhat better…" she admitted, "But the next time I get a chance, you are teaching me to make that tea!"
Carmella laughed again. "Fair enough. Why don't you come back for Kuno around four o'clock? He'll probably be awake by then."
Nabiki nodded. "That's fine." She walked to the back door. "See you then!" she called out, waving.
"Bye!" Carmella said, waving back and smiling. She walked over to the sleeping Kuno and leveled an intense gaze at him. "You'd better have heard all that," she remarked, voice steely, "or I shall be very annoyed. I haven't had a chance to play matchmaker in nearly a decade!"
=^-,-^=
I'm still taking whatever you throw at me, you know.
Disclaimer: Ranma ½ is property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not mine. I make no claim of it, and this piece of fan fiction is written purely for entertainment, not for money. The Cat's Wishes and Cursed Whisker powder are my concepts, and Carmella is my character, so you'd better ask before using them—or at least give me some credit. Thanks much!
--socchan